- Shabana Azmi expressed disappointment over Batwara 1947's poor box office performance
- Batwara 1947 released alongside Awarapan 2, which performed better commercially
- Azmi questioned audience resistance to Sunny Deol portraying a Muslim character
Shabana Azmi recently expressed disappointment over the box office performance of Batwara 1947, which released in theatres on August 14.
What's Happening
The Partition drama, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Aamir Khan, received a mixed response and struggled commercially.
The film released alongside Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2, which performed better at the box office.
Shabana Azmi, who is part of both films, said she was happy about the response to Awarapan 2 but was surprised by the lack of theatrical interest in Batwara 1947.
In an interview with Zoom for Spotlight Sessions, the veteran actor questioned the audience's response to Sunny Deol playing a Muslim character in the film.
Shabana said, "I am very surprised at the total box office disaster Batwara 1947 has been. I am surrounded by people who come and tell me that they loved the film and they loved the message and it makes them feel hatred se uthke humanity ki baat kar rahe hain, uski itni ahmiyat hai iss mahaul mein. Dusri taraf se log gaye nahi theatres mein aur jo gaye, unke confused reactions thein (moving away from hatred and talking about humanity, which is so important in the current environment. On the other hand, people did not go to theatres, and those who did had confused reactions)."
She went on to question why some viewers found it difficult to see Sunny Deol as a Muslim character.
Drawing a comparison with Amitabh Bachchan's earlier roles, she said, "Matlab Sunny Deol ko aap Musalman kyun nahi dekh sakte? Coolie jaise filmein thi jismein Amitabh Bachchan bade aaram se Muslim characters karte thein. 786 laga lete the aur usko bilkul accept kiya jata hai. Ab ismein kya samjhe ki aisa mahaul banaya ja raha hai humare yahan jismein iss tarah ki divisions jaanbujhkar ho rahi hai? Meri samajh mein nahi aa raha (There were films like Coolie in which Amitabh Bachchan played Muslim characters quite comfortably. They would have 786 associated with them, and it was completely accepted. What are we supposed to understand from this? Is such an environment being created here where these kinds of divisions are deliberately being encouraged? I don't understand)."
On Audience's Reaction After Watching The Film
Shabana also spoke about some of the reactions she had encountered after people watched the film.
She said, "Mujhe toh iss baat ki hairat hai ki yahan log hai unko aitraaz hai ki Sunny Deol Musalman kyun play kar rahe hai. Uspe bhi kuch bol rahe hain ki Pakistani play kar raha hai. Voh Pakistani play nahi kar rahe hain, aap toh film dekhke aaye hain. It is not registering. Upar se Bushra Ahmed bol rahi hai ki yeh Punjabi kis tarah bol rahe hain. Unko bhi buri lag rahi hai (I am surprised that there are people here who object to Sunny Deol playing a Muslim. Some are even saying that he is playing a Pakistani. He is not playing a Pakistani; you have watched the film. On top of that, Bushra Ahmed is saying, ‘Why is he speaking Punjabi like this?' She also does not like it)." This is something that is talking about something pure and beautiful."
According to Shabana, the film's subject may now be difficult to explore in mainstream Hindi cinema.
She said, "What has happened is that this Hindustan-Pakistan has now become a subject that you cannot touch in Hindi cinema, which is very disappointing because here is a film that is politically not wrong in any way. You can't find a flaw in it politically. Ismein Sunny ne bohot accha kaam kiya hai. Khaaskar mere saath joh scenes hai emotional scenes hain, I really believed he cares for this old woman. It is disappointing, but also contradictory that I meet people, then why are people praising it so much? I've not been able to wrap my head around it."
Background
Batwara 1947 is set during the Partition and draws inspiration from the Urdu play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya O Jamyai Nai.
The film features Shabana Azmi, Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Karan Deol and Kanika Kapur in key roles.
Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Aamir Khan, the film arrived in theatres on August 14.